Emphasizing that the purpose of the impending National Health Insurance Plan is for the betterment of the entire territory, the authorities are imploring persons to desist from attempting to have it politicized.
That appeal has come from Antoinette Skelton – Executive Director of the Social Security Board which is promoting the controversial plan that will be compulsory for all legal residents and will come on stream by August 2013.
Government is yet to finalize what percentage of each insurable income is to be channeled into the insurance plan, but Skelton said 7.5% has been proposed.
Another proposal is for employers and workers to each pay 50% of that amount.
A number of persons have objected to the National Health Insurance Plan; some claiming it will eventually leave businesses in bankruptcy.Also admitting that some persons have been trying to politicize the initiative, Skelton stated that there is absolutely no justification for doing so.
She said the National Health Insurance Plan has been endorsed by administrations under both the National Democratic Party (NDP) and the Virgin Islands Party (VIP).
“In 2003, the NDP government was elected, and they launched the National Health Insurance. We contracted with the Health Economic Unit (University of the West Indies) to advice how we should design the programme.
“In 2007, the NDP government lost the election. A Virgin Islands Party government was elected, and the work continued under the Virgin Islands Party government. So it’s not a political thing,” Skelton explained.
She further stated that the final percentage is the only area where the parties may differ.
Claiming that the current way of financing healthcare is unsustainable and may leave the territory broke, Skelton said the search is always on for a solution.
“The government has been looking at health financing for a long time – from H. Lavity Stoutt’s time. It’s not a NDP or a VIP thing. It is a government thing because governments past and present see the need for proper health financing.”
